Hello all,

This is my Christmas Special. I have thought about it for a very long time and now my Muses have managed to write it down. Winter and snow is beautiful, but also very dangerous. Hephaestion experiences this at the Hindu Kush.

All the best wishes, Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Read and enjoy,

/ NorthernLight

Beta: Denise
Many thanks for all your kind and thorough work on my behalf. also for our long frienship on the 'net. You sure make my tales a better read.

New Friends At The Hindu Kush

The Hindu Kush, 329 BC

Disaster in the Blizzard

Hephaestion was completely exhausted. He was cold and hungry and his whole body trembled from weakness and tiredness. His stomach growled so audibly that the miserable sound became louder than the howling of the merciless blizzard. The coal buns that Cleitus had fried to them all during the constant blizzards rested like a stone in his poor stomach, giving him permanent indigestion.

He looked up at the leaden gray skies. The clouds were billowing around, filling up with even more cold and enormous snow flakes. The mountains towered around him, all covered with large snow drifts. The road was slippery and glittered with hard frozen ice. Hephaestion watched his step, gently patting Castor on his auburn mane. He pulled the hood of his bear fur cloak closer around him. It was a very warm and thick cloak, but nothing could shield him from the merciless cold and hard winds. The snow filled his eyes and he could not see the slippery path before him.

Suddenly Castor stumbled and fell on his knees on the icy path. The fall was so sudden and swift that Hephaestion was thrown over his horse's head. He rolled down a craggy mountain slope, hurting and bruising himself. He called out loud for Alexander and the Companions, but no one heard him over the howling winds. His right foot got stuck between two sharp stones and he heard an ominous breaking sound from his shinbone. The pain was excruciating, but at least this stopped his fall. He sat down on the cold and snow clad stone, calmly inspecting his leg. It was throbbing from pain, and he could clearly feel that it was broken right over the ankle. He did not dare to remove the sturdy leather boot since he knew that with the rapid swelling he would not be able to put it on again.

Then his foot would become frozen stiff and beyond salvation.

As he sat on the cold stone something positive happened. The sun that had been hidden behind thick, gray clouds for these many days suddenly appeared, shining bright and clear through a slit in the clouds. Strangely it managed to cheer Hephaestion up, even in this desperate situation. He looked up, letting it warm his cold cheeks.

"Oh, dear Helios, it must be a Good Sign that you appear now when I need warmth and shelter more than anything, "he said out loud.

Still, he was feeling cold and miserable and his broken leg hurt him tremendously. He sat massaging it, less and less vigorously as his fingers became numb from the cold. His head dropped and he became more and more sleepy.

"I will not fall asleep, "he said to himself. "or else I will never wake up again."

New Friends

Suddenly there were two padding sounds in the snow. He heard a curious meowing that woke him up from the dangerous stupour. He looked down at his feet at a very strange sight. There were two kittens gently carressing his legs, walking to and fro around him. Yes, kittens they were, but the strangest kittens Hephaestion had ever seen. They were much larger than ordinary kittens, their fur was very thick, a grayish white with beautiful brown black spots and they had very long, thick tails. He gently stroke them, tickling them behind their stubby ears. They started to purr and crept up into his lap. He sat hugging them, talking to them with happiness.

"Oh, my new friends, I am so glad that you found me out here in the wilderness, "he said to the strange, big kittens. "Something tells me that you can be of great help to me."

As an answer to his friendly speech there was a loud growl. Hephaestion looked up. He saw a very big cat leaping towards him. It must be the mother of the friendly kittens. She was positively enormous, bigger than a lioness, with huge paws, long claws and a very long tail that wafted to and fro, announcing anger and warning. Her fur was gray white, with a beautiful paftrern of brown black spots. Hephaestion had seen leopards in Egypt and he realized that this must be some kind of snow and mountain variety of this large cat.

This one was the mother of the friendly cubs. She was not friendly at all!

Missing Friend

"Hephaestion? Hephaestion!"

Alexander looked at his side, then he looked behind himself. Hephaestion had been riding at his side just a moment ago.

Now he was suddenly gone. There was nothing but ice cold winds and snow at Alexander's side. The King instantly felt that something was very wrong.

"Where is Hephaestion?, "he called out. "Has anyone seen him recently?"

"Yes, he was here, but then there was all that damn snow blowing into my eyes, "Cleitus cursed. "When I had it swept away I could not see him anymore."

They all went back. looking everywhere on the icy path and into the cold and towering snow drifts.

"Hephaestion! HEPHAESTION!, "they called, louder and louder.

The young, auburn haired, blue eyed General was nowhere to be found. Then they came upon Castor. The faithful war stallion stood looking down a steep mountain slope. His head hung low and he was a picture of bereavement and desolation.

His saddle was empty. There were no traces of Hephaestion whatsoever.

TBC